Sleigh



(No Model.)

J. N. RUNIONS.-

SLEIGH.

No. 591,640. Patentd oet. 12, gi897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. RUNIONS, OF COKATO, MINNESOTA.

sLFJcH.A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,640, dated October12, 1897.

Application led February l5. 1897. Serial No. 623,378. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern.-

v Be it known that I, JAMES N. RUNIONS, of Cokato, lVright county,Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements'in Sleighs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sleighs, its object being toprovide a simple, strong, and durable structure,light and gra-ceful inappearance,l and easy riding. To this end I support the sleigh-body uponspeciallydesigned loop-sprin gs interposed between the sleigh knees andrunners, the springs having preferably jointed or oscillating connectionwith said knees.

I also provide an improved form of adjustable dashboard which when inits forward position gives the maximum of room in the body to permit theoccupants to pass in or out, and then can be turned back upon its hingesto shorten in the body and partially close the sides to protect the feetand limbsof the occupants. The seat is also made adjustable in height toadapt it for short or tall people.

I also provide improvements in the draftbar and connections and otherparts of the construction, which will be hereinafter more particularlydescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurel is a side elevation of iny improved sleigh, the adjustable dashboardbeing shown in forward position in full lines, its rear position beingindicated by dot-and-dash lines. Fig. 2 is a detail of a loop-spring,illustrating a form of 0scillating connection between the knee and loop.Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified construction of oscillatingconnection between the knee and runner, and Fig. 5 is a detail ofdraft-bar and its connections.

In the drawings the sleigh-body A may be of any desired form and issupported upon the cross-beams 2, made, preferably, of fiat barsstanding on edge with their ends bent to form knees 3. The runner B ismade up of the runner part 4, of fiat bar-steel, and the shoe 5, boltedthereto at intervals, as shown, and preferably considerably wider thanthe runner to give a better bearingsurface. Upon the runner B arearranged the springs C, made up of a loop 6 the ends of which arerounded and the central top portion depressed or slightly concave, asshown, in which depression is secured the loop 7, constituting the endof thel knee 3. In some cases an oscillating joint between the knees andsprings may be desired, and in such case I may employ the constructionshown in Fig. 2, in which the spring is formed with anupwardlyprojecting an'ge 9, forming a saddle to receive the knee-loop 7,which is held in place by the rivets 10.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified form of joint which may be usedinstead of that shown in Fig. 2. In this form the upwardly-projectingflanges 11 are connected by rivets 12, passing through slots 13 in theknee. Antifriction-rolls 14 are also arranged in the saddle formed bythe flange 11,'so as to serve as a bearing for the knee-loop.

The pole or shafts are ordinarily secured to the sleigh as shown in Fig.5, in which the cross-bar 15 of the shafts is connected with thedraft-bar 16 by means of the clips 17. In order to set the shafts at anangle with the sleigh and with as nearly as possible a central draft forthe whiftletree 18, I preferably have the cross-bar 15 outwardly'curved,as shown in Fig. 5. One of the clips 17 (in the drawings being the oneon the right-hand side) is longer than the other clip and is also setfarther inward from the end of thedraftbar. Thus as the shafts are movedfrom the full to the dot-and-dash line vposition the curvature of thecrossbar 15 and the arrangement of the clips 17 will canse .the shaftsto turn at an angle with the sleigh. In order to hold the shafts lockedin set position, I provide the spring 19, adapted to engage a catch 2Oupon the cross-bar l5. It will be apparent Athat instead of having thecross-bar 15 curved the draft-bar 16 maybe thus formed, or both bars maybe straight and interposed connections used which will allow the shaftsto stand at an angle with the sleigh when offset.

In order to hold the lap-robes in place and to protect the feet andlimbs of the occupants, I provide the adjustable dashboard D. y (SeeFig. l.) This is formed with' a downwardly and rearwardly inclinedportion 2 1, connected to the body of the sleigh by the hinge 22, sothat when the dashboard stands in the forward position (indicated by thefull lines) the part 21 forms an extension of the sleigh-body.

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The dashboard is secured to the body also by means of the elbow-jointedbraces 23, which, when extended, hold the dashboard in forward position,but may be bent to hold it closed back against the seat 24, for thepurpose described. Ialso provide the dashboard with rearwardly-extendingwings or flanges 25, which serve to protect the occupants of the sleighby partially closing in the open sides, as indicated in Fig. l.

To further adapt the sleigh-body to different-sized persons, I make theseatadjustable in height. This may be done in any suitable manner--as,for example, as shown in Fig. l, in which the seat-supporting brackets26 are provided with hinged extension-flaps 27, which are adapted to beturned upward when the seat is raised to support it in lifted position.

It will be evident that with my improved construction of sleigh jolts orjars due to obstructions in the road will be obviated. The flexiblerunners and loop-springs mounted thereon will bend in passing overobstructions, so that the sleigh will run practically as easy as upon asmooth road.

I claiml. The combination of the sleigh-body, the knees, the runners,and the loop-springs interposed between said runners and said knees.

2. In a sleigh, the combination with the body, the knees, and theiiexible runners, of the loop-sprin gs interposed between said runnersandr knees and supporting said body.

3. In a sleigh, the combination with the runner, of the springs arrangedthereon, and the knees having jointed connection wit-h said springs.

4. In a sleigh,the combination with the liexible runners, oftheloop-springs secured thereon, and the knees having jointed connectionwith said springs.

5. The combination with the sleigh-body, of the dashboard, thedownwardly and rearwardly extending part at the bottom thereof, thehinge connecting said inclined part to the body, and the side flanges orwings upon said dashboard.

6. The combination with the sleigh-body, of the dashboard having adownwardly and rearwardly inclined lower portion, and the jointedbrace-rods for securing it in adj usted positions.

'7. The combination with the sleigh-body,

of the dashboard having a rearwardly and downwardly inclined portion atthe bottom, the hinge connecting said lower portion to the body and thebraces for limiting the forward position of the dashboard.

8. In a sleigh, the combination with the body, of the dashboard havingits lower portion formed so that when in normal position it serves as anextension of the body, the hin ge connection between said dashboard andbody, and the jointed brace-rods connecting the dashboard and body.

9. In a sleigh, the combination with the body, of the dashboard havingits lower portion formed as an extension of the body, therearwardly-extending side flanges upon said dashboard, the hingesconnecting the dashboard with .the body, and the elbow-jointedbrace-rods for limiting the forward position of the dashboard.

l0. In a sleigh, a vertically-adjustable seat for the same consisting oftwo-part intermediately-hinged supporting-cleats adapted to be extendedso as to support the seat at maximum height or to have the free partturned downward upon its hinge so as to permit the seat to rest upon theother and fixed part of the cleat.

l1. In a sleigh, the combination with the runners andknees, oftheinterposed loopsprings secured to the runners, and the oscillatingconnection between said knees and springs.

12. Ina sleigh, the combination with the knees and runners, of theloop-springs secured upon said runners, and the spring-loops secured tosaid knees and seated upon said springs and the bolts secured to onepart and working in the other so as to permit oscilla' tion betweenthem.

13. In a sleigh, the combination with the spring-runner, the knees, theoscillating connection between, and the interposed frictionrolls servingas a bearing for said knees.

14. The combination with a cutter and its shafts, of the adjustableconnections between the same adapted to hold said shafts in alinementwith the runners when in normal position and to permit said shafts to belaterally adjustably offset and when so offset to be turned at an anglewith the line of the runners proportioned to the degree of lateraladjustment.

l5. The combination with a cutter and its shafts, lof the adjacentcross-bar upon each, one of which is forwardly convexed, and the clipsfor adjustably connecting said crossbars whereby when the shafts are innormal position their line of draft is coincident with the medial lineof the cutter, but when offset laterally they are outturned at an anglewith said medial line in proportion to the curvature of said bar and thedegree of lateral adjustment.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES N. RUNIONS. IVitnesses:

MINNIE L. THAUwALD, H. S. JoHNsoN.

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